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I see that this Sunday (21st) Aldi are featuring bird products including what they describe as a Premium seed mix in a pack which works out at 59p per kilo. Whilst not as cheap as my regular Home Bargain mix, it may well be a better quality mix. See it at: http://uk.aldi.com/sunday_special_bu...ctnl_4348.html

The fat balls at £5.99 for 50 is brilliant price and for the forthcoming months weather and even the starter pack at £3.99 for the nuts and feeder, the tube feeder and bag of seed the 2 fat balls and holder. A great idea to start anyone off.

I find the peanuts they sell very small.The birds were coming down and pulling them whole through the mesh on the feeder,the ones that stayed in the feeder that is.Most of them fell through the mesh onto the floor!

I see that this Sunday (21st) Aldi are featuring bird products including what they describe as a Premium seed http://uk.aldi.com/sunday_special_buys/productnl_4348.html[/url]
anyone with any views/experience of their bird food products?
John Fleet

John: This is the first I've heard of Aldi doing bird products of any description. Interesting link - thank for letting us know. Will look into it.

Worth investigating though, and I will do that for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marmot

Looks like a good deal all around,

The fat balls at £5.99 for 50 is brilliant price and for the forthcoming months weather and even the starter pack at £3.99 for the nuts and feeder, the tube feeder and bag of seed the 2 fat balls and holder. A great idea to start anyone off.
Here is the links to thesehttp://uk.aldi.com/index.html

Marmot: The fatballs can vary in price quite a bit from store to store. I will look into Aldi for Fatballs - 50 for £5.99 good price

I think the more fat balls you buy in a packet, the price seems to drop - so it appears Tesco sells them, and to me they are very expensive. I think they sell them in packs of 6 for £2.00 odd. What a price difference here from Aldi to Tesco prices.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike from ebbw

I find the peanuts they sell very small.The birds were coming down and pulling them whole through the mesh on the feeder,the ones that stayed in the feeder that is.Most of them fell through the mesh onto the floor!

Mike: I think that defeats the purpose of a peanut feeder. The squirrels would have a field day here with all the spillage of peanuts on the floor. So better avoiding that one if possible

Quote:

Originally Posted by dafi

I hope its better quality than their nest boxes!!

Dafi: I also never knew that Aldi did nestboxes. Are they that bad?

I also buy bird foodstuffs form B & Q , Pet Stores and Garden Centres and prices seen to vary everywhere. I think it is just shopping around to see what is best around for a persons budget. Not tried the SWT, and the RSPB yet? They do a lot of bulk buying.

Again I bought a largest bag of mixed seeds for wildbirds for £1.79 from Tesco's - Cheeky Boy (Good price I thought). Again there appears to be too much of one type of seed that is in the packet. I see it as if the birds do not eat some seed, the mice will eat the seed off the floor, and the Owls will eat the mice and so the food chain continues.

Want to keep our Tawny Owl here, as he is a happy Owl at the moment. He hoots every night from his favourite tree. I want to keep him - tongue in cheek here

the rspb fatballs at minsmere last time i went were £9.99 for a bucket i think for 50 but not 100% sure they come without the green netting which can be dangerous and are presumably nutriously superiour to cheaper ones plus all the profit goes to birds
i find a lot of the seed from supermarkets has a lot of wheat in it which a lot of birds don't seem to like i get mine from a local farm shop they do a wild bird mix for 60p a kilo which i mix with their avairy mix 80p a kilo and their sunflower hearts which are £2.50 a bag
cheers

the rspb fatballs at minsmere last time i went were £9.99 for a bucket i think for 50 but not 100% sure they come without the green netting which can be dangerous and are presumably nutriously superiour to cheaper ones plus all the profit goes to birds
i find a lot of the seed from supermarkets has a lot of wheat in it which a lot of birds don't seem to like i get mine from a local farm shop they do a wild bird mix for 60p a kilo which i mix with their avairy mix 80p a kilo and their sunflower hearts which are £2.50 a bag
cheers

Hi Paul

Yes, the netting around the fatballs is an issue. It is not needed at all to be honest. Not sure about the quality of fat balls though? RSPB are more expensive in the fatball stakes, than Aldi's though by a long chalk.

The fatballs in Tescos have the green netting at the moment. I remove it before placing it in the feeders (or breaking a fat ball up and place on the plate of feed for the ground feeders)

Good suggestion mixing the feed as you have, and buying in quantity too - good idea

I have yet to put a fat ball up with netting on, I always buy them with it on and a little tug or cut with the scissors removes it in seconds. So I cannot see why anyone would spend the extra to purchase them without bags.

i buy the packets of 6 fat balls, for 49p a packet, from either Quality Save or B&M - i have to buy the cheap ones as the birds visiting my garden go through 6 fat balls a day - they eat me out of house and home

I have yet to put a fat ball up with netting on, I always buy them with it on and a little tug or cut with the scissors removes it in seconds. So I cannot see why anyone would spend the extra to purchase them without bags.

Hi Marmot

Very true. Nets are pointless to me unless the balls are being thrown about. It is better to purchase them in a plastic container as in 50's pack.

I also think we are paying for the brand at times. The RSPB/SWT are significant and popular brands, and I am under the impression some of the proceeds go into conservation. Am I right saying this?
If this was the case, I would aim for this for a thought too.

I found with fatballs, I put them up in their designed container and after a rain storm, they suck up the water like blotting paper. I put them 2 at a time, at the most. The flavoured ones seem to be worse for water retention. Has anyone noticed this with fatballs too.

So crumbling them in a plate if feed makes them go longer, and they are fresh each time.

just been in garage and can confirm rspb fatballs were £9.99 for 50 think they must be of a better quality as they are far less crumbly than the cheaper ones and i havn't noticed them absorbing water. also tub say all profits go to rspb for birds
cheers

just been in garage and can confirm rspb fatballs were £9.99 for 50 think they must be of a better quality as they are far less crumbly than the cheaper ones and i havn't noticed them absorbing water. also tub say all profits go to rspb for birds
cheers

Hi PaulE

I think RSPB have put lot more thought in making their products, though it comes at a price sometimes (but that applies to all goods though)

I thought this was the case with RSPB birdfood products. Now you have confirmed this is the case here Paul.

So is it quality,quantity, and price (cheaper as Aldi is), over RSPB products. RSPB can be slightly more expensive, if you do not buy them in bulk. RSPB and (Scottish Wildlife Trust will do something similar to this too, I am sure of this now), state they give all proceeds to the RSPB group. Makes you think which is the better of the two choices now? Either Aldi or the RSPB